Under-rated, hated, and forgotten-the story of the Fiat Palio

crackingride · 14th December 2009, 16:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawan_pullarwar

Sid, I own Palio 1.2 ELX and and I have so much of faith on her that I just dont want to upgrade. She still handles Indian road like butter. I did many many long trips and she never let me down anywhere.

+1 to this, and amen.
Picked up a fern green 1.2 ELX in June '02, and nothing compares since. (well, maybe the 1.6 in original release guise)
Haven't the heart to upgrade, and at only 42 thou odd kms including innumerable trips in and around goa, coorg, kerala, mysore, ooty, red hills, and more, its not pressing either.
I was hoping to move onto the Polo, but those following me following the Polo elsewhere will see that I'm wondering what I stand to gain doing that.
The Palio pre-dated the whole new Polo look by a good 8-9 years. I see uncanny resemblances in the narrow grille, clear lamp headlight treatments, angled center console etc. The Palio had the most good looking rear lamp cluster in my opinion. The original Giugiaro penned teardrop shape is a beauty. Whoever did the "updates" afterward? Sick!
In fact, just picked her up from service on Friday. They took the 92000 km coupon, though its only 42 odd on the clock.
Runs as quietly as ever, the doors have the same heft and quiet solidity that got me hooked. Controls fall to hand as well as they did before: the soft rubberized feel of the headlight stalk is to be felt to be believed.
I just got the Amaron guys to replace a DIn45 battery for free under warranty because of a weak cell. The last one lasted 5 years. The OEM one lasted two.
Still on the original set of tyres. Ditto clutch.
Sometimes I think I'm missing real time fuel consumption and all the rest of the new-fangled features, but now I know the Palio so well that a single glance at the trip meter and i can tell when I am due for another refuel.
My Dobe loves the back seat. He hears me take the car out the garage and he wants a ride. Nice grey fabric seats are tough and hide dirt well. No beige horror stories here!
After sales meant some dedication in getting good quality attention, but I have never found it wanting. In fact, only when Tata took over did I see people who did not know a Fiat trying to understand one (Concorde, that's you!). I moved to a private garage (authorised by Tata Fiat) soon after, and have happily been there since.

I'm loving it. And the other manufacturers are not helping.

finneyp · 14th December 2009, 16:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawan_pullarwar

Sid, I own Palio 1.2 ELX and and I have so much of faith on her that I just dont want to upgrade. She still handles Indian road like butter. I did many many long trips and she never let me down anywhere.

Another +1.

I will find it difficult to upgrade from a Palio, it has all one can ask for, Ride comfort, Build quality, Handling, Space, Looks, decent FE in 1.2 version etc.

When I bought my Palio in 2004, other options in the market were: Santro, WagonR, Zen etc, and I am very happy I made the right choice!

BTW, nice write-up Sid!

.anshuman · 14th December 2009, 18:01

Very nicely Writenn, I loved this car for years and i almost bought it but ditched the plan for Indica, just because it did not have a diesel engine.

The diesel when launched after some time had a very good engine for that time, it pulled well from really low revs. The 1.6 was a powerhouse. 1.2 was adequately powered but later it was tuned down for FE later. 1.1 Petrol now on sale is pathetic with really bad acceleration and weak torque output does not help driveability either.

DCEite · 14th December 2009, 18:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Very nicely Writenn, I loved this car for years and i almost bought it but ditched the plan for Indica, just because it did not have a diesel engine.

What about the 1.9 D ?

gemithomas · 14th December 2009, 18:19

Hope this nice write-up does not turn into another brand bashing thread. The Palio indeed was a great car. It was just ahead of its times and people were not really aware of what to look in a car.

The lucky few got to own the GTXs and the S10s. The others drive the STerILizEd versions.

OT: I dont understand why some FIAT threads get closed before anyone really sees them and some continue to exist.

.anshuman · 14th December 2009, 18:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCEite

What about the 1.9 D ?

I bought my Indica in 2002 and 1.9D was launched a year or so later. I would have bought 1.9D with my eyes closed if it was available then. Though my Indica served me well for 5years and 150k Kms.

Seeler_Rebeiro · 14th December 2009, 18:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by gemithomas

The lucky few got to own the GTXs and the S10s. The others drive the STerILizEd versions.

What's the difference ? Care to highlight ? I thought the engine was the same and so was its tune. The only difference being the gear box with the GTX having only 5th gear as overdrive and Stile having 4th & 5th. Please educate me.

rohanjf · 14th December 2009, 18:56

Every time I drive my Palio into the Shell petrol station near my office (the only place where I refuel), I hope to see Ferrari F1 team coming to clean my car, and Schumi cleaning his helmet in a corner of the petrol bunk, sitting on his car.

Seeler_Rebeiro · 14th December 2009, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by rohanjf

Every time I drive my Palio into the Shell petrol station near my office (the only place where I refuel), I hope to see Ferrari F1 team coming to clean my car, and Schumi cleaning his helmet in a corner of the petrol bunk, sitting on his car.

finished dreaming? Now should I get you back to reality ? Nah ..never mind .. continue in fairlyland.

sushanthr77 · 14th December 2009, 19:25

Sid, great reading! Awesome cruiser built for Indian roads. I think the retro version still looks the best! Hits you straight to the heart!

madhav · 14th December 2009, 19:46

Sid, what can I say.. I'm at a loss for words. Simply brilliant!

In 2004 when I was in the hunt for my first car, I had decided that it would be nothing other than the Palio. But the pathetic response from the dealer made me think otherwise and I ended up with a Scorpio. The Scorpio was a good vehicle, but there were times when I've imagined what it would've been if I had mustered the courage to buy the Palio then.

2006, I had to sell my Scorpio and move to US and when I returned in 2008, I saw the new Palio Stile with the multijet and I didn't hesitate for a moment. Just got the car and irrespective of what everyone had to say about Fiat and all the bad things about this car, I was just happy. It felt like I've got what I always wanted.

Simply put, this is a car that one owns with their heart and less with their head!

Again.. thanks Sid for a great thread!

salilpawar1 · 14th December 2009, 19:49

One of the initial TV ads of the Palio starring Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli

YouTube - Fiat Palio- Sachin & Kambli

aaggoswami · 14th December 2009, 19:52

Fantastic write up. I wonder how much time you take to type it all down and then edit, and finally compose the entire post.

1) Fiat, yes that italian company is responsible for this mess. Remember Uno ? Its even a bigger tragedy than Palio IMHO. Zen had its own advantages like better motor and agility, but Uno had better space, specially the boot space. Rear seat space was also nice. The OVRM were internally adjustable and this was a novel feature at that time.

Why I am putting all this ?

My uncle booked Uno. He wanted to replace 800 and/or keep both Uno and 800. He was impressed with Uno, specially space ( as compared to Zen ). He paid up some good amount. Zen was great and people wanted a change. The booking for Uno were very very high.

Unfortunately my uncle did not get the car. He was very very disappointed. The booking amount was given back to him after a very long time. All the old story.

What after that ? He is afraid to buy any other Fiat now.

Uno hit Fiat the worst. Uno created excitement, Zen killed it ( Zen was also good in its own way ). Or rather Uno never properly entered the battle field.

Now that excitement of some change from Zen was infused by Fiat Uno. Who got maximum benefit of it ? Hyundai. Yes, after Uno which created a lot of excitement, people did not have any second option. Hyundai then came with Santro and used all that excitement to full benefit.

2) I have driven some relative's S10 palio. I can tell you that upto 4500 rpm, this motor has good torque and coupled with relatively lower gearing, is pretty quick. The car did not sell because of :
a) Poor image of Fiat carried forward from Uno days.
b) Poor A.S & S.
c) Poor FE.

Now, even today, small car must have good FE. Think of the days when 1.6 Palio came up. Surely the mentality was not broad enough.

3) Rather than tribute to Palio, I would like to see tribute to Uno. Its one car that I really liked and compared it with Esteem at that time. The rear C-pillar is something I really liked.

Car&me · 14th December 2009, 20:12

Palio - even today it stands out and everytime a palio passes by I tend to follow it for sometime and try to observe it. I have seen a few cars thats very well maintained and few others maintained worse than a indica taxi.

Wish Fiat had some better A** connections then. (not that Tata is doing a great job now, but a Fiat customer is better off with Tata than with the old one)

extreme_torque · 14th December 2009, 20:17

One thing that never cease to amaze me is the emotional quotient of the Palio (How Italian are able to put in so much emotion into a small car is beyond me) Besides it had everything that you wanted in a good contemporary hatch.
The fuel economy although not as good (simply becuase all the other around were featherlight) wasnt bad. Hook on the GPS and you would see that speedo is on dot accurate while the odo underreads by 4-5% and couple that with 10% over read that most hatches have, you are looking at an error percentage of 15%. Now 10-11 kmpl with A/C is the figure most Palio 1.2 owners would quote but add the 15% error thingie and suddenly the 12.5 kmpl figure sounds fantastic for a 1.2 litre 1+ tonne hatch.. even today!

Oh and before I forget... great write up sid!

14th December 2009, 18:01	#33
.anshuman Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Good-Gaon Posts: 7,763 Thanked: 11,078 Times View My Garage	Very nicely Writenn, I loved this car for years and i almost bought it but ditched the plan for Indica, just because it did not have a diesel engine. The diesel when launched after some time had a very good engine for that time, it pulled well from really low revs. The 1.6 was a powerhouse. 1.2 was adequately powered but later it was tuned down for FE later. 1.1 Petrol now on sale is pathetic with really bad acceleration and weak torque output does not help driveability either. Last edited by .anshuman : 14th December 2009 at 18:09.
	(1) Thanks

14th December 2009, 18:19	#35
gemithomas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,366 Thanked: 143 Times View My Garage	Hope this nice write-up does not turn into another brand bashing thread. The Palio indeed was a great car. It was just ahead of its times and people were not really aware of what to look in a car. The lucky few got to own the GTXs and the S10s. The others drive the STerILizEd versions. OT: I dont understand why some FIAT threads get closed before anyone really sees them and some continue to exist.
	(2) Thanks

14th December 2009, 18:56	#38
rohanjf Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Adelaide Posts: 1,193 Thanked: 707 Times	Every time I drive my Palio into the Shell petrol station near my office (the only place where I refuel), I hope to see Ferrari F1 team coming to clean my car, and Schumi cleaning his helmet in a corner of the petrol bunk, sitting on his car.
	() Thanks

14th December 2009, 19:25	#40
sushanthr77 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mangalore / DXB Posts: 280 Thanked: 5 Times View My Garage	Sid, great reading! Awesome cruiser built for Indian roads. I think the retro version still looks the best! Hits you straight to the heart!
	() Thanks

14th December 2009, 19:46	#41
madhav BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 288 Thanked: 83 Times	Sid, what can I say.. I'm at a loss for words. Simply brilliant! In 2004 when I was in the hunt for my first car, I had decided that it would be nothing other than the Palio. But the pathetic response from the dealer made me think otherwise and I ended up with a Scorpio. The Scorpio was a good vehicle, but there were times when I've imagined what it would've been if I had mustered the courage to buy the Palio then. 2006, I had to sell my Scorpio and move to US and when I returned in 2008, I saw the new Palio Stile with the multijet and I didn't hesitate for a moment. Just got the car and irrespective of what everyone had to say about Fiat and all the bad things about this car, I was just happy. It felt like I've got what I always wanted. Simply put, this is a car that one owns with their heart and less with their head! Again.. thanks Sid for a great thread!
	() Thanks

14th December 2009, 19:52	#43
aaggoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Vadodara Posts: 4,987 Thanked: 2,965 Times	Fantastic write up. I wonder how much time you take to type it all down and then edit, and finally compose the entire post. 1) Fiat, yes that italian company is responsible for this mess. Remember Uno ? Its even a bigger tragedy than Palio IMHO. Zen had its own advantages like better motor and agility, but Uno had better space, specially the boot space. Rear seat space was also nice. The OVRM were internally adjustable and this was a novel feature at that time. Why I am putting all this ? My uncle booked Uno. He wanted to replace 800 and/or keep both Uno and 800. He was impressed with Uno, specially space ( as compared to Zen ). He paid up some good amount. Zen was great and people wanted a change. The booking for Uno were very very high. Unfortunately my uncle did not get the car. He was very very disappointed. The booking amount was given back to him after a very long time. All the old story. What after that ? He is afraid to buy any other Fiat now. Uno hit Fiat the worst. Uno created excitement, Zen killed it ( Zen was also good in its own way ). Or rather Uno never properly entered the battle field. Now that excitement of some change from Zen was infused by Fiat Uno. Who got maximum benefit of it ? Hyundai. Yes, after Uno which created a lot of excitement, people did not have any second option. Hyundai then came with Santro and used all that excitement to full benefit. 2) I have driven some relative's S10 palio. I can tell you that upto 4500 rpm, this motor has good torque and coupled with relatively lower gearing, is pretty quick. The car did not sell because of : a) Poor image of Fiat carried forward from Uno days. b) Poor A.S & S. c) Poor FE. Now, even today, small car must have good FE. Think of the days when 1.6 Palio came up. Surely the mentality was not broad enough. 3) Rather than tribute to Palio, I would like to see tribute to Uno. Its one car that I really liked and compared it with Esteem at that time. The rear C-pillar is something I really liked.
	() Thanks

14th December 2009, 20:12	#44
Car&me BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 207 Thanked: 36 Times	Palio - even today it stands out and everytime a palio passes by I tend to follow it for sometime and try to observe it. I have seen a few cars thats very well maintained and few others maintained worse than a indica taxi. Wish Fiat had some better A** connections then. (not that Tata is doing a great job now, but a Fiat customer is better off with Tata than with the old one)
	() Thanks

14th December 2009, 20:17	#45
extreme_torque Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Melbourne Posts: 4,404 Thanked: 5,244 Times	One thing that never cease to amaze me is the emotional quotient of the Palio (How Italian are able to put in so much emotion into a small car is beyond me) Besides it had everything that you wanted in a good contemporary hatch. The fuel economy although not as good (simply becuase all the other around were featherlight) wasnt bad. Hook on the GPS and you would see that speedo is on dot accurate while the odo underreads by 4-5% and couple that with 10% over read that most hatches have, you are looking at an error percentage of 15%. Now 10-11 kmpl with A/C is the figure most Palio 1.2 owners would quote but add the 15% error thingie and suddenly the 12.5 kmpl figure sounds fantastic for a 1.2 litre 1+ tonne hatch.. even today! Oh and before I forget... great write up sid! Last edited by extreme_torque : 14th December 2009 at 20:18.
	() Thanks